Affection's Facade

In time we know

Elera's present POV

It was an overreaction, clear and undeniable. Yet, I couldn't ignore the detachment gnawing at me. I felt haunted by the specters of my life, like a bird with clipped wings, trapped yet staring at an open cage door.

The cold embrace of my bed felt strangely comforting as I lay in the dark, shadows playing tricks with my senses. The faint, yet persistent, sounds of retching and water splashing, interspersed with hushed whispers, reached my ears. My maids were in the throes of cleaning up the remnants of my turbulent evening, an act which I had failed to keep within the confines of my bathroom.

"Elera-ssi?" the soft, concerned voice of one of the maids, Mi-kyung, asked, her voice feathered with genuine concern.

Still, I offered no reply, pulling the blankets tighter around me as though they could shield me from the tumultuous world outside. the youngest of the maids, filtered through. "Why have you been so unlike yourself lately?"

I swallowed, tasting the remaining bitterness of alcohol in my mouth, and chose to let silence be my resting place.

Soon, the creak of the front door, accompanied by familiar footfalls, indicated Jae-hoon's return.

"Get out, give us a minute," he commanded sharply, his voice slicing through the room's atmosphere. The hurried footsteps of the maids began to move to comply with my husband's demands.

Jae-hoon's discerning gaze fell upon the half-cleaned bathroom, disgust evident in his tightened jaw. I couldn't blame him. I had released my dinner onto the floor along with whatever else trailed after.

"What's come over you, Elera? Do you find pleasure in disgracing me? Why did I receive a call about you being drunk at the Choi's? You tarnish our reputation at the Choi's residence of all places?"

His rantings, spoken from a place of pride, seemed to fill every corner of the room. Still, I faced away, letting his words wash over me. But as he continued, lamenting about the day's hardships, and how he tirelessly worked for "us," I found myself scoffing. " Spare me," I mumbled to myself.

" You can't be serious." He mumbled, expecting the fight that awaited us.

" Aren't you tired Elera? Why can't we just have a good day?" He asked. I paused for a moment as I continued to watch his actions through the dresser's mirror as I lay down. His facial expressions were almost as tired of me as I was with him.

"How long, Jae-hoon?" I asked, my voice deceptively calm for a moment.

He raised a brow.

"How long have you been with her?"

He paused, annoyance dripping from him as he carelessly flung his tie onto our bed. "We've been through this, Elera. My meetings are nothing new. Why the sudden drama?"

"I could care less about them... but So-yeon, Jae-hoon. How long with So-yeon?"

His composed face faltered for a fleeting second, a rare crack in his armor. Gathering some strength, I pushed up from the bed, slowly despite the room spinning.

His discomfort was noticeable, I enjoyed seeing him nervous. It made me want to bask in his stress, as he tried to navigate the minefield I'd set before him. "Elera, it wasn't-"

" Don't you dare!" I interrupted.

He reached over trying to get a hold of my arm
as I flung a pillow at him, the storm I felt reflecting in my eyes. "You're a sick excuse for a human," I snapped. 

My thoughts raced. "For once, I want to know how it would feel, to cause you pain. I should ruin you for this."

Jae-hoon shifted uncomfortably, evading my questions. But his silence only fueled my wrath.